Downtown Hamilton business accelerator set to open September 1

McMaster University, Innovation Factory and Mohawk College are opening a business accelerator in downtown Hamilton.

The partners have secured a location at 245 James St. N., in a commercial block between Robert Street and Barton Street, in the heart of the district that is leading Hamilton’s urban renewal.

The Forge Downtown, scheduled to open Sept. 1, will support the growth of tech-related businesses by connecting entrepreneurs with the people, resources and inspiration they need to attain their goals.

“This project completes another circle between McMaster and the community, connecting experts in business to entrepreneurs in the community,” says Sean Van Koughnett, McMaster’s Dean of Students and Associate Vice-President (Students and Learning). “All of this can now happen right where businesses are opening and growing every day.”

The Forge Downtown is part of the burgeoning entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem in Hamilton, and is meant to complement other initiatives, including: Innovation Factory and The Forge business accelerator, both located at McMaster Innovation Park; Spectrum on campus at McMaster and Surge on campus at Mohawk.

Forge Downtown is funded by the Ontario Centres of Excellence’s Campus Linked Accelerator Program.